Twelve Lives Never Lived
by Grim Lupine
Summary: Twelve alternate lives of Merlin and Arthur. ::oneshot:: MerlinArthur::


Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.

Notes: These were all individual texts to xxxayakaxxx, and thus stand as proof that I have no life. :) Also, I really really want to write a larger version of the first one. How are English school choirs different from American ones?

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**One**

Arthur is the cocky hot bass in the school choir. Merlin is a tenor and thinks Arthur has a stupid face, except for the times when he wants to drop to his knees and do unspeakable things to him.

**Two**

"Those asshole Winchester brothers," Arthur grumbles. "Stealing all our jobs."

"I don't know," Merlin replies, raising an eyebrow. "They're pretty hot."

**Three**

"Want fries with that?" The employee looks bored with his life in general, blue eyes half lidded. Arthur considers hitting on him just to break the monotony, but something in the guy's face warns him against it. He grabs his food and leaves, already wondering when he'll go there again. He doesn't know, there's just something about him…

**Four**

Whatever, that stupid Miley Cyrus doesn't stand a chance. Arthur is obviously the next big thing to hit the music industry. Now he just needs groupies…but he decides that can be Merlin's job.

**Five**

Arthur's a Gryffindor, of course. No one ever doubted that. And Merlin as a Ravenclaw doesn't surprise anyone either. Morgana already plans to rule Slytherin house with an iron-fist, and Gwen's loyal heart will do well in Hufflepuff. They make a pact; together they will take Hogwarts by storm.

**Six**

They don't have much time for each other even now that they're out of med school, but they don't have many complaints. Because they might not always go to bed together, or have the leisure to wake up in each other's arms, but they do important things. They save lives, and in the end they have each other.

**Seven**

"The first thing to learn when training to become an assassin," Arthur begins, voice so soft they have to lean in to hear, and then he steps up into Merlin's space, fingers reaching out to trace over Merlin's cheek. Merlin catches a breath, and all of a sudden Arthur hooks a leg behind his and pulls forward. Merlin tumbles onto the floor and Arthur smirks. "Don't let anything distract you," he finishes.

**Eight**

It's a regular night on the street corner for Arthur. He spies a potential client walking over: all ears and nervousness. Arthur's been told he leans exceptionally well, so he puts his back up against the brick wall and grabs his best come-hither expression. "What's your name, handsome?" he asks huskily, and the answer comes out a timid "Merlin."

**Nine**

Because every artist needs a muse, and Arthur could inspire a blind man. Sometimes he poses; sometimes Merlin catches him unaware with a wondering expression on his face. Sometimes he sits for Merlin nude, and Merlin forgets to paint in actual colors in his sudden need to paint bare skin with invisible ones. He changes brushes for bare hands and doesn't think his art suffers for it.

**Ten**

It's been centuries since Arthur fell in battle and Merlin followed him, as he always has. They remain tied to what is now a full graveyard; people-watching is infinitely interesting there. The other ghosts are boring and gray, but it doesn't matter. They've never needed more than each other.

**Eleven**

Because boarding school is like Vegas; what happens there stays there. So if Merlin goes home for the summer and every night pretends his own hands on his body are Arthur's, no one will know but him. And if he returns and pins Arthur in the bathroom with more urgency than usual, it's all right. He pretends not to notice how quickly Arthur comes when he does so.

**Twelve**

Merlin isn't sure how he feels about his career as an internationally famous fashion designer. One day his maths-homework doodles were noticed, the next his clothes are going to walk the runway. Then he sees the model to be wearing those clothes: he looks into pouting red lips and tousled blond hair and suddenly has no doubts about how fantastic his life is.

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End file.
